Life is funny sometimes, Ray thought to herself, Randy has a crush on me,
but somehow I can't bring myself to trust him. John is my boyfriend, or
supposedly, but I'm sleeping with my best friend, and loving every single
second of it. Isn't that a little whorish?
"Mark, take a look at this," Shawn threw the note down in front of the larger man.
"What the hell is going on now?"
"I'm going to let you read all about it," Adam told him, "Then I'm going to hold him while you smash his face in."
Mark smiled at Adam; he had taken such a liking to Ray that Mark knew that if there was just one person that he could Ray with it could be him.
"Oh what is this bullshit?" Mark yelled as he looked from the note to the two men in front of him.
"This is what he left the princess, and she, bless her little heart, was in the locker room crying out her little soul. Meanwhile, he's walking around here screwing the whore of Babylon herself as she carries around that little bastard child of hers swearing it's his." Adam was turning apple red in tint.
"My baby girl doesn't need this shit. This is bullshit. He is such a fuckin' coward. I will not ruin darlin's chance at happiness."
"Her and Shane finally slept together, didn't they?" Shawn asked.
Mark smiled, "Yeah, she's been skipping around here so happy go lucky 'til it's sick."
"Yeah, so I noticed, Shane isn't much better."
"I know, he's been ear to ear teeth since you guys got back from N.Y."
"Yeah, that's where it happened. They don't know I know, but I knew it from the time they walked down the steps together at Paul's house."
Adam smiled through his building anger, "All the more reason to knock this punk's teeth down his throat."
"As much as I agree with you Adam, I'm going to have to let darlin' handle this."
"That poor girl doesn't have a clue in the name of all that is sane what to do."
"Yeah I know. And we're going to be here for her, but she has to handle this first and foremost on her own, is that understood?"
"Mark, Mark," Shane came gunning into the room like someone had set him aflame, "Mark I have to talk to you, it's about beautiful."
"What the fuck is going on now?" The vein in Mark's neck was beginning to bulge.
"It's John, he found out about the money."
"How the hell did he do that?"
Shane shrugged, "The only person I told is beautiful, because you asked me too. And I know for sure that she didn't tell him."
"Did anyone over hear you talking to her?" Adam asked.
Shane shrugged again; "I don't think so. Besides, the only person around was," Shane stopped speaking.
"Was who son? Speak up."
"Ray and Randy were tousling in the locker room when I went to talk to her, I asked him to excuse us while I talk to her. He could be the only one."
Mark smashed his fist into the locker, "That's it. I'm going to jail."
"Mark, no." Shane squealed. "What about Ray?"
Mark squeezed his eyes shut, thinking of his little grey-eyed darlin'. He thought about how much she needed him in her life. He couldn't protect her from a cell.
"I know Shane. But what do you propose we do?"
Shane shook his head, "Mark I don't know. But killing this boy isn't going to help." He held his head down as a tear slid down his cheek.
"Shane, what's wrong kid?" Adam asked placing his hand on the boy's shoulder.
"She still loves him. They haven't officially broken up, and it looks as if he's trying to make it so they never will."
Shawn wrapped his arms around Shane, looking over at Mark, shaking his head, "This isn't good." He mouthed.
"You're telling me," Mark mouthed back.
"Don't you worry." Mark said placing his massive hand on the boy's back, "I'm going to see to all of this. Don't you worry about a thing. You just be there when my baby needs you."
Shane looked up, "I will. I promise."
**************************************************************************** *********
John grabbed Ray by her long ponytail yanking her down to the mat.
"Boy have you lost your goddamn mind? Get the fuck off of me."
"You haven't spoken to me since you got back from N.Y., is there something I should know about?" He asked pulling harder, adding a lot of torque on her neck.
"Oh and this is supposed to make me talk, you got your fuckin' hands around my hair. Fuck you. Get the fuck off of me." She said twisting to lay on her stomach to take some of the pressure off her neck.
"You're supposed to love me." John cried, pinning her face down to the mat. "Me, goddamn it. Not him, me."
Ray for the first time realized that she may be in a little danger, that she may have pushed John a little too far with ignoring him and flaunting her self in front of the boys in the locker room.
"John," Ray said softly, "I do love you."
"Don't lie to me." He screamed yanking her back so that her back arched. "Don't you dare fuckin' lie to me." He said smashing her face brutally back into the mat.
"John, I do love you." Ray said her voice quavering. "I just thought that maybe we needed a little time apart. I was wrong, and I'm sorry."
John hugged her; "I love you so much girl. I can't lose you. I would die. You would have to come too. My life wouldn't be complete."
Ray's eyes filled with tears, as she tasted her own blood in her mouth, this damn boy is maniacal.
"What's going on out here?" a southern voice boomed.
John's grip on her tightened quickly around her neck, "Say a single word and I'll kill you here where you lay, you got it." Ray couldn't say anything, he was crushing her trachea, taking her silence as obedience he continued. "Good girl. Nothing Steve, just practicing some finishing maneuvers."
"She looks like she's had enough son," Steve Williams' blue eyes connected with her grey ones, he could see the blood coming from her lip, "and if you don't want me to kick your ass from one end of this ring to the other, I would let her go."
"Ah Steve, I'm not hurting her, am I?" John asked Ray, his grip on her throat was blocking off all circulation, all she could do was look at Austin with fear in her eyes.
"Let her go son." Steve said advancing closer, "We don't have to do this, but if you don't let her go I will."
"Stay away from us Steve, I said she's fine." John said through strained teeth, Ray was losing consciousness fast, she was slipping away.
"She sure as hell don't look fine to me." Steve said whipping out his cell phone, "but since you said she is, I'm sure no one would know better than her father. He'll straighten all of this out."
John let her go quickly, Ray chest heaved to catch air into her lungs. "Steve, since you won't mind your own damn business, you teach her."
Steve climbed into the room kneeling beside her, "If I were you, I'd get down here and fast. Your daughter isn't in the best of shape."
"That son of a bitch. I'll kill him." Mark boomed, taking off down the corridor.
Shane, Shawn, and Adam chased the big man all the way down to the ring; they took a look at Ray fighting to get air into her lungs. Steve was right, she didn't look to be in good shape at all.
"What the hell happened?" Mark asked.
"Well I get down here and he's choking the hell out of her, saying that they were practicing, training I guess."
"Choking?" Shane's eyes grew wide.
"Yeah, you could tell that's what he was doing, look how red her neck is. That's going to bruise by the way."
"Is she going to be okay?" Shane asked as Nick the trainer came running down the ramp.
"I'm tired of this." Mark ran his hand through his dark curls. "I'm getting real sick of this." He watched his daughter struggle for air, "Darlin' pack your things, don't take this personal, but we can not be your personal body guards all the time. I'm sorry to say this, you need another job, I don't like this."
Ray couldn't speak as she trembled due to lack of oxygen, she loved the four men standing in front of her, they had been through the most troubling few months with her, but she would be damned if she gave up the job she loved. Her grey eyes filled with tears again, this time sorrowful tears. She couldn't even believe he was suggesting such insanity.
"Then don't take it personal," she rasped, "when I tell you to go straight to hell, and trust me, I don't like it either." She stood up, barely breathing and made her way back to the locker room.
No one said anything, the silence hung in the air like dense fog, did she just tell Mark Calloway to go to hell, without missing a single beat?
"Mark," Shawn started.
Mark held up one trembling hand, "Shawn, don't."
"Mark, listen to him." Adam coaxed, "You do not want this to go down like this."
"But what else can I do? I obviously can't be with her 24/7, she won't let me. And when I leave her alone, this kind of shit happens."
"Well that's the risk she takes. But please, don't ask her to give up what she lives for."
Mark sighed, defeated. How could he ask this girl to give up what she loves? He knew in his hearts of hearts that he couldn't, he also wasn't ready to just up and admit defeat.
"Well what happens when what she lives for ends up being what kills her?" Mark asked.
"Again, a risk I'm sure she knows that she takes every time she's not in our presence."
Shane hadn't said anything; he just wondered where Ray was and what she was doing. In fury she doesn't think straight.
**************************************************************************** *********
"Whoa Xena," Randy said as Ray nearly knocked him over, "what's going on?"
"Not now Randy," she rasped, she sounded as if she was having trouble breathing, and the fact she was upset couldn't be helping much.
"What's going on Ray?" he asked again noticing the red fingerprints around her neck.
"Nothing."
"Nothing my ass," Randy said looking closer, "looks as if someone has been choking the hell out of you."
"Rough day at practice," she lied, really not wanting to talk about.
"Well who the hell were you practicing with?"
"Does it matter?" she said turning away from him. She had had enough for one day.
"I guess it doesn't," he said snaking his arms around her slender waist, "it's just that I worry about you."
Something about the sinister tone in his voice set Ray on edge; it made her clench in fear. She felt his hands rise on her body but before she could get the energy to push him, he slipped the handkerchief over her face and soon she was out.
"Hurry up John," Randy hissed, "Mark will be looking for her soon."
"I can't believe I let you talk me into choking my baby out." John sighed looking at her through the rearview mirror.
"Could you think of a better way to do this?" John was silent, "Look, I know you love that little woman back there, but we are talking about damn near four million dollars. We aren't going to hurt her, you know that." Again John said nothing; he had a gut feeling that after this, Ray would never be the same. "Look, she won't even know it's us, she won't see or hear us. Will you just relax? Besides, you have a baby boy to think about, this would take care of that entire situation."
"You think so?"
"Would we be doing this otherwise?"
Again, John didn't have an answer; this was all too much for him to handle.
They were quick about stashing Ray at the drop point, even making sure she was comfortable, well as comfortable as they could considering she would have to be blindfolded and restrained.
"Okay, we have to haul ass back to the arena, look, they are never going to suspect me, but you are something different, so you have to stay with them tonight, act real concerned, it will all be over soon."
John nodded numbly; looking back at his tied up girlfriend, "Okay."
**************************************************************************** *********
"Where the hell is she?" Mark asked.
"She couldn't be but so far, her bag is right here." Shane said, "Here are her CD's you know she doesn't make a move without them."
"Jeff, how we coming on locating her cell?"
"No answer Mark."
Mark sighed; Adam shook his head, "Has anyone seen her?"
"Seen who?" John asked walking into the locker room drenched in sweat.
"Ray," Jeff said looking up from Ray's bag, "Here's why we can't contact Ray. Here's her cell phone."
"Ray never leaves her cellie." John said shaking his head, "She can't be far."
"When's the last time you saw her?" Jeff asked.
"In the ring."
"So we heard, and do you want to tell me just what the hell were you doing choking my daughter?"
"First of all Mark, I wasn't choking her, we were training, amongst other things." He looked away, "and besides, Ray gets off on that. She read an article once on women getting an orgasm from partial asphyxiation, she thought it would be something kinky we could do,"
Everyone looked at Shane, who stared at John blankly, "That has got to be the sickest thing I think I've ever heard you say."
John shrugged, "I know. Same thing I said. Anyway, I told her I would do it for her since she was so dead set on it."
"What does everyone think?" Shawn asked.
"No need, when you see her next, ask her, it's true. Anyway, where is she, like I said I haven't seen her since I left the ring."
"Yeah well she and I got into a little tiff and now we are looking for her."
"Can I help, I think we have some things to discuss when I catch up with her. Like why she just took off without telling someone."
Mark rolled his eyes at John's new act of concern, "Yeah, whatever, call my cell if you all find out anything."
Shane was numb; he couldn't shake the feeling that something had happened to his girl. Ray never made a move without her cell and her music, both were in her gym bag but she was no where in sight.
"Come on Shane, she's got to be here somewhere, she wouldn't just leave without letting someone know something."
"Yeah," Shane looked at his best friend, "I guess you're right."
"Damn right, I'm right." Jeff said checking his ringing cell phone. "See this may be her right here. Hello,"
"Jeff, it's Kacey."
"Hey honey, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, except I think I'm in labor."
"How do you know? How do you feel?"
"How's this, if I had any military secrets, I'd talk."
"Show time, I'll be home as soon as I can."
"Okay, I'll try to wait."
Jeff tore through the locker room like a bat out of hell, "Kacey is in labor," he screamed at his friend.
"You've got to be shittin' me." Shane smiled.
"I'm going to be a daddy." Jeff beamed.
"Well not yet," Matt smiled coming into the locker room with Amy.
"Yes yet," Jeff said making no sense. "That was Kacey, she's in labor."
"How does she know?" Matt asked.
"She said if she had any military secrets, she'd so talk." Jeff said.
"That's it." Amy smiled. "Hurry up boy. You need to be on the first flight out of here."
"I'll go with you little bro, we're not doing anything." Matt said, "I'm going to go tell Vince. Hurry up."
**************************************************************************** *********
Well while Jeff and Kacey were ready to celebrate life, Ray woke up feeling extremely close to death.
"What the hell?" she whispered noticing she had been blindfolded, she tried to move and couldn't, and of course her head was splitting.
"Don't panic," a distorted voice said, "this will be over soon."
"Who are you? Where am I? What do you want with me?"
"Like I said, it will be all over soon. Just sit back and relax."
"You want me to relax?" Ray said, "You've got me tied up, blindfolded, and you want me to relax? Well at least I know you're a male."
The voice laughed, "I guess you could go with that."
"No need to guess, only a male would go with that kind of logic."
"Are you thirsty?" the voice asked, "Would you like something to eat maybe?"
"My fuckin' head is killing me, since you're so concerned." She shivered, "and I'm cold."
"I'll get you a blanket and some medicine for that headache."
"You still haven't told me what you want with me."
"Don't worry, if everything goes right, you'll be out of here in not time."
Jeff and Matt arrived at the hospital just in time to see Kacey being wheeled into delivery.
"Oh my god sweetheart," Jeff cried out.
"I fuckin' hate you." Kacey screamed, "I just want you to know."
Matt smiled, his brother looked like he was close to tears, "Don't worry dude, they always say that."
Jeff shook his head, he could never stand it when Kacey was in pain. "I'm so sorry."
"No time for sorry daddy, get over here and hold her hand."
45 minutes later, Jeff walked into the waiting room holding his new son in his wrapped hand.
"Oh my God," Matt whispered, "he's so cute."
"He's got her hair," Jeff cried, "but look at that, those are my eyes."
"What's his name?"
"Ian Layne Hardy."
"That's nice." Matt said cradling his nephew as he began to cry, "Don't worry little buddy, you'll be out of here in no time."
"Mark, take a look at this," Shawn threw the note down in front of the larger man.
"What the hell is going on now?"
"I'm going to let you read all about it," Adam told him, "Then I'm going to hold him while you smash his face in."
Mark smiled at Adam; he had taken such a liking to Ray that Mark knew that if there was just one person that he could Ray with it could be him.
"Oh what is this bullshit?" Mark yelled as he looked from the note to the two men in front of him.
"This is what he left the princess, and she, bless her little heart, was in the locker room crying out her little soul. Meanwhile, he's walking around here screwing the whore of Babylon herself as she carries around that little bastard child of hers swearing it's his." Adam was turning apple red in tint.
"My baby girl doesn't need this shit. This is bullshit. He is such a fuckin' coward. I will not ruin darlin's chance at happiness."
"Her and Shane finally slept together, didn't they?" Shawn asked.
Mark smiled, "Yeah, she's been skipping around here so happy go lucky 'til it's sick."
"Yeah, so I noticed, Shane isn't much better."
"I know, he's been ear to ear teeth since you guys got back from N.Y."
"Yeah, that's where it happened. They don't know I know, but I knew it from the time they walked down the steps together at Paul's house."
Adam smiled through his building anger, "All the more reason to knock this punk's teeth down his throat."
"As much as I agree with you Adam, I'm going to have to let darlin' handle this."
"That poor girl doesn't have a clue in the name of all that is sane what to do."
"Yeah I know. And we're going to be here for her, but she has to handle this first and foremost on her own, is that understood?"
"Mark, Mark," Shane came gunning into the room like someone had set him aflame, "Mark I have to talk to you, it's about beautiful."
"What the fuck is going on now?" The vein in Mark's neck was beginning to bulge.
"It's John, he found out about the money."
"How the hell did he do that?"
Shane shrugged, "The only person I told is beautiful, because you asked me too. And I know for sure that she didn't tell him."
"Did anyone over hear you talking to her?" Adam asked.
Shane shrugged again; "I don't think so. Besides, the only person around was," Shane stopped speaking.
"Was who son? Speak up."
"Ray and Randy were tousling in the locker room when I went to talk to her, I asked him to excuse us while I talk to her. He could be the only one."
Mark smashed his fist into the locker, "That's it. I'm going to jail."
"Mark, no." Shane squealed. "What about Ray?"
Mark squeezed his eyes shut, thinking of his little grey-eyed darlin'. He thought about how much she needed him in her life. He couldn't protect her from a cell.
"I know Shane. But what do you propose we do?"
Shane shook his head, "Mark I don't know. But killing this boy isn't going to help." He held his head down as a tear slid down his cheek.
"Shane, what's wrong kid?" Adam asked placing his hand on the boy's shoulder.
"She still loves him. They haven't officially broken up, and it looks as if he's trying to make it so they never will."
Shawn wrapped his arms around Shane, looking over at Mark, shaking his head, "This isn't good." He mouthed.
"You're telling me," Mark mouthed back.
"Don't you worry." Mark said placing his massive hand on the boy's back, "I'm going to see to all of this. Don't you worry about a thing. You just be there when my baby needs you."
Shane looked up, "I will. I promise."
**************************************************************************** *********
John grabbed Ray by her long ponytail yanking her down to the mat.
"Boy have you lost your goddamn mind? Get the fuck off of me."
"You haven't spoken to me since you got back from N.Y., is there something I should know about?" He asked pulling harder, adding a lot of torque on her neck.
"Oh and this is supposed to make me talk, you got your fuckin' hands around my hair. Fuck you. Get the fuck off of me." She said twisting to lay on her stomach to take some of the pressure off her neck.
"You're supposed to love me." John cried, pinning her face down to the mat. "Me, goddamn it. Not him, me."
Ray for the first time realized that she may be in a little danger, that she may have pushed John a little too far with ignoring him and flaunting her self in front of the boys in the locker room.
"John," Ray said softly, "I do love you."
"Don't lie to me." He screamed yanking her back so that her back arched. "Don't you dare fuckin' lie to me." He said smashing her face brutally back into the mat.
"John, I do love you." Ray said her voice quavering. "I just thought that maybe we needed a little time apart. I was wrong, and I'm sorry."
John hugged her; "I love you so much girl. I can't lose you. I would die. You would have to come too. My life wouldn't be complete."
Ray's eyes filled with tears, as she tasted her own blood in her mouth, this damn boy is maniacal.
"What's going on out here?" a southern voice boomed.
John's grip on her tightened quickly around her neck, "Say a single word and I'll kill you here where you lay, you got it." Ray couldn't say anything, he was crushing her trachea, taking her silence as obedience he continued. "Good girl. Nothing Steve, just practicing some finishing maneuvers."
"She looks like she's had enough son," Steve Williams' blue eyes connected with her grey ones, he could see the blood coming from her lip, "and if you don't want me to kick your ass from one end of this ring to the other, I would let her go."
"Ah Steve, I'm not hurting her, am I?" John asked Ray, his grip on her throat was blocking off all circulation, all she could do was look at Austin with fear in her eyes.
"Let her go son." Steve said advancing closer, "We don't have to do this, but if you don't let her go I will."
"Stay away from us Steve, I said she's fine." John said through strained teeth, Ray was losing consciousness fast, she was slipping away.
"She sure as hell don't look fine to me." Steve said whipping out his cell phone, "but since you said she is, I'm sure no one would know better than her father. He'll straighten all of this out."
John let her go quickly, Ray chest heaved to catch air into her lungs. "Steve, since you won't mind your own damn business, you teach her."
Steve climbed into the room kneeling beside her, "If I were you, I'd get down here and fast. Your daughter isn't in the best of shape."
"That son of a bitch. I'll kill him." Mark boomed, taking off down the corridor.
Shane, Shawn, and Adam chased the big man all the way down to the ring; they took a look at Ray fighting to get air into her lungs. Steve was right, she didn't look to be in good shape at all.
"What the hell happened?" Mark asked.
"Well I get down here and he's choking the hell out of her, saying that they were practicing, training I guess."
"Choking?" Shane's eyes grew wide.
"Yeah, you could tell that's what he was doing, look how red her neck is. That's going to bruise by the way."
"Is she going to be okay?" Shane asked as Nick the trainer came running down the ramp.
"I'm tired of this." Mark ran his hand through his dark curls. "I'm getting real sick of this." He watched his daughter struggle for air, "Darlin' pack your things, don't take this personal, but we can not be your personal body guards all the time. I'm sorry to say this, you need another job, I don't like this."
Ray couldn't speak as she trembled due to lack of oxygen, she loved the four men standing in front of her, they had been through the most troubling few months with her, but she would be damned if she gave up the job she loved. Her grey eyes filled with tears again, this time sorrowful tears. She couldn't even believe he was suggesting such insanity.
"Then don't take it personal," she rasped, "when I tell you to go straight to hell, and trust me, I don't like it either." She stood up, barely breathing and made her way back to the locker room.
No one said anything, the silence hung in the air like dense fog, did she just tell Mark Calloway to go to hell, without missing a single beat?
"Mark," Shawn started.
Mark held up one trembling hand, "Shawn, don't."
"Mark, listen to him." Adam coaxed, "You do not want this to go down like this."
"But what else can I do? I obviously can't be with her 24/7, she won't let me. And when I leave her alone, this kind of shit happens."
"Well that's the risk she takes. But please, don't ask her to give up what she lives for."
Mark sighed, defeated. How could he ask this girl to give up what she loves? He knew in his hearts of hearts that he couldn't, he also wasn't ready to just up and admit defeat.
"Well what happens when what she lives for ends up being what kills her?" Mark asked.
"Again, a risk I'm sure she knows that she takes every time she's not in our presence."
Shane hadn't said anything; he just wondered where Ray was and what she was doing. In fury she doesn't think straight.
**************************************************************************** *********
"Whoa Xena," Randy said as Ray nearly knocked him over, "what's going on?"
"Not now Randy," she rasped, she sounded as if she was having trouble breathing, and the fact she was upset couldn't be helping much.
"What's going on Ray?" he asked again noticing the red fingerprints around her neck.
"Nothing."
"Nothing my ass," Randy said looking closer, "looks as if someone has been choking the hell out of you."
"Rough day at practice," she lied, really not wanting to talk about.
"Well who the hell were you practicing with?"
"Does it matter?" she said turning away from him. She had had enough for one day.
"I guess it doesn't," he said snaking his arms around her slender waist, "it's just that I worry about you."
Something about the sinister tone in his voice set Ray on edge; it made her clench in fear. She felt his hands rise on her body but before she could get the energy to push him, he slipped the handkerchief over her face and soon she was out.
"Hurry up John," Randy hissed, "Mark will be looking for her soon."
"I can't believe I let you talk me into choking my baby out." John sighed looking at her through the rearview mirror.
"Could you think of a better way to do this?" John was silent, "Look, I know you love that little woman back there, but we are talking about damn near four million dollars. We aren't going to hurt her, you know that." Again John said nothing; he had a gut feeling that after this, Ray would never be the same. "Look, she won't even know it's us, she won't see or hear us. Will you just relax? Besides, you have a baby boy to think about, this would take care of that entire situation."
"You think so?"
"Would we be doing this otherwise?"
Again, John didn't have an answer; this was all too much for him to handle.
They were quick about stashing Ray at the drop point, even making sure she was comfortable, well as comfortable as they could considering she would have to be blindfolded and restrained.
"Okay, we have to haul ass back to the arena, look, they are never going to suspect me, but you are something different, so you have to stay with them tonight, act real concerned, it will all be over soon."
John nodded numbly; looking back at his tied up girlfriend, "Okay."
**************************************************************************** *********
"Where the hell is she?" Mark asked.
"She couldn't be but so far, her bag is right here." Shane said, "Here are her CD's you know she doesn't make a move without them."
"Jeff, how we coming on locating her cell?"
"No answer Mark."
Mark sighed; Adam shook his head, "Has anyone seen her?"
"Seen who?" John asked walking into the locker room drenched in sweat.
"Ray," Jeff said looking up from Ray's bag, "Here's why we can't contact Ray. Here's her cell phone."
"Ray never leaves her cellie." John said shaking his head, "She can't be far."
"When's the last time you saw her?" Jeff asked.
"In the ring."
"So we heard, and do you want to tell me just what the hell were you doing choking my daughter?"
"First of all Mark, I wasn't choking her, we were training, amongst other things." He looked away, "and besides, Ray gets off on that. She read an article once on women getting an orgasm from partial asphyxiation, she thought it would be something kinky we could do,"
Everyone looked at Shane, who stared at John blankly, "That has got to be the sickest thing I think I've ever heard you say."
John shrugged, "I know. Same thing I said. Anyway, I told her I would do it for her since she was so dead set on it."
"What does everyone think?" Shawn asked.
"No need, when you see her next, ask her, it's true. Anyway, where is she, like I said I haven't seen her since I left the ring."
"Yeah well she and I got into a little tiff and now we are looking for her."
"Can I help, I think we have some things to discuss when I catch up with her. Like why she just took off without telling someone."
Mark rolled his eyes at John's new act of concern, "Yeah, whatever, call my cell if you all find out anything."
Shane was numb; he couldn't shake the feeling that something had happened to his girl. Ray never made a move without her cell and her music, both were in her gym bag but she was no where in sight.
"Come on Shane, she's got to be here somewhere, she wouldn't just leave without letting someone know something."
"Yeah," Shane looked at his best friend, "I guess you're right."
"Damn right, I'm right." Jeff said checking his ringing cell phone. "See this may be her right here. Hello,"
"Jeff, it's Kacey."
"Hey honey, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, except I think I'm in labor."
"How do you know? How do you feel?"
"How's this, if I had any military secrets, I'd talk."
"Show time, I'll be home as soon as I can."
"Okay, I'll try to wait."
Jeff tore through the locker room like a bat out of hell, "Kacey is in labor," he screamed at his friend.
"You've got to be shittin' me." Shane smiled.
"I'm going to be a daddy." Jeff beamed.
"Well not yet," Matt smiled coming into the locker room with Amy.
"Yes yet," Jeff said making no sense. "That was Kacey, she's in labor."
"How does she know?" Matt asked.
"She said if she had any military secrets, she'd so talk." Jeff said.
"That's it." Amy smiled. "Hurry up boy. You need to be on the first flight out of here."
"I'll go with you little bro, we're not doing anything." Matt said, "I'm going to go tell Vince. Hurry up."
**************************************************************************** *********
Well while Jeff and Kacey were ready to celebrate life, Ray woke up feeling extremely close to death.
"What the hell?" she whispered noticing she had been blindfolded, she tried to move and couldn't, and of course her head was splitting.
"Don't panic," a distorted voice said, "this will be over soon."
"Who are you? Where am I? What do you want with me?"
"Like I said, it will be all over soon. Just sit back and relax."
"You want me to relax?" Ray said, "You've got me tied up, blindfolded, and you want me to relax? Well at least I know you're a male."
The voice laughed, "I guess you could go with that."
"No need to guess, only a male would go with that kind of logic."
"Are you thirsty?" the voice asked, "Would you like something to eat maybe?"
"My fuckin' head is killing me, since you're so concerned." She shivered, "and I'm cold."
"I'll get you a blanket and some medicine for that headache."
"You still haven't told me what you want with me."
"Don't worry, if everything goes right, you'll be out of here in not time."
Jeff and Matt arrived at the hospital just in time to see Kacey being wheeled into delivery.
"Oh my god sweetheart," Jeff cried out.
"I fuckin' hate you." Kacey screamed, "I just want you to know."
Matt smiled, his brother looked like he was close to tears, "Don't worry dude, they always say that."
Jeff shook his head, he could never stand it when Kacey was in pain. "I'm so sorry."
"No time for sorry daddy, get over here and hold her hand."
45 minutes later, Jeff walked into the waiting room holding his new son in his wrapped hand.
"Oh my God," Matt whispered, "he's so cute."
"He's got her hair," Jeff cried, "but look at that, those are my eyes."
"What's his name?"
"Ian Layne Hardy."
"That's nice." Matt said cradling his nephew as he began to cry, "Don't worry little buddy, you'll be out of here in no time."